Thursday, 20 April 2017

Can Cavities Be Detected by Laser?

There are some Eugene dentists that have now used tools to
detect cavities with a laser. Many might think that it’s weird or wrong, but
there is a reason to doing this. It might be overly sensitive or inaccurate to
some, but remember, laser tools are actually used to help find hidden cavities
in this patient, and while they’re good for the top of the tooth, you should
also couple this with a visual exam by the dentist. This article will discuss
how these lasers work, and how they can detect cavities and such.

Now, how this works is simple. You shoot a safe and painless
light at the tooth. It then absorbs some of the light t and reflects it to the
back of the sensor on the machine. This in turn will show a digital reading. It
is typically known that the higher the number, the more severe the decay is,
and it’s what you should keep in mind when a dentist tells you.

Now there are a few pros to this. The first, is that you get
early detection. Decay near the tooth surface might be hidden by an x-ray,
however, according to new studies, these tools do pick up the type of decay
this is. You might also end up finding cavities that an x-ray can’t pick up as
a result of this too.

But of course, there are a few cons to this. The first, is
that they don’t work on teeth with fillings there, so if you already have it,
then you’ll definitely want to not use these. It also can indicate a cavity
where there isn’t one. In situations where there are obvious cavities, this
works well. However, in some gray areas, this might end up being too sensitive.

It also can’t show a cavity itself. It works well in showing
the dentist other information. For example, you might want to pinpoint if there
is a possibility of cavities, which this does, but it doesn’t work by itself.
It must be coupled with other tools as well.

Finally, these can’t replace an x-ray. You might see some
Eugene dentists use this, but these are not superior to the visual exam that is
done by a dentist. While technology has come a long way, it still falls short
compared to the traditional methods of choice.

Now, this device is mostly a diagnostic tool. It doesn’t tell
you outright that you have a cavity. Rather, it will help the dentist point you
in the right direction. The dentist will be able to tell you whether or not it
is a cavity by looking at the readings of each tooth and comparing them to the
baseline. This tool should be used by a dentist to give you additional
information when looking for a cavity, and it shouldn’t be the only data point
used. Remember, with some diagnostic tools, using more can give you a more
accurate representation of your tooth. X-rays and these tools do complement
each other, and using them together is really what you should do. The x-rays
are good for finding cavities at the roots and the areas between the teeth,
while the lasers are good for the biting surface.

You should make sure that you have a dentist that uses
conservative dentistry the most. There are some dentists that tend to over
treat. If you feel like this tool is oversensitive, let your dentist now that
it’s not what you need, and you’ll be able to get a second opinion.

You might end up having to get a financial incentive from
the insurance companies for a filling. Typically, insurance plans cover all
fillings, whether it’s a small one, or a full-blown one. Now, you might want to
make sure that all of the teeth are healthy, and all cavities are worked on.
Whether or not you choose to have this laser used is really up to you. This is
your health, your choices on the matter, and because of that, you can make the
final call on whether or not you want a laser against your tooth, or whether
you just want a traditional and accurate x-ray.